By Hannah Jackson October 24, 2026 Save Story Save this story Save Story Save this story Expand James D. Kelly Summer wardrobes may be packed away until next year, but this past weekend, a fashionable group traded crisp air and trench coats for tropics-friendly resortwear at the Four Seasons Cartagena . Guests—including Lauren and Andrés Santo Domingo; Alejandro and Charlotte Santo Domingo; Andrea and Tatiana Casiraghi; chef Mario Carbone and Cait Bailey Carbone; artist Olympia Scarry; designers Johanna Ortiz, Danielle Frankel Hirsch, Conner Ives, and Annie Doble; and entrepreneur Jen Rubio—took over the sprawling property’s 131 rooms for a multi-day celebration of Colombian culture.
“The city has a sense of magical realism,” remarked Lauren Santo Domingo , citing Cartagena’s prodigal son, Gabriel García Márquez. “The first time I came here, I really felt like I was transported and I was somewhere different, unlike anywhere I’ve ever been: every corner on every street, every balcony, is covered in bougainvillea.”
Lauren, who is Moda Operandi’s chief brand officer, was keen to spotlight Colombian designers, too. Guests were invited to stop by Moda’s Four Seasons suite to select looks from Colombian brands—think: Silvia Tcherassi, Mercedes Salazar, CANO, Baobab, and Johanna Ortiz —to wear throughout the weekend.
On Saturday afternoon, Ortiz even hosted an intimate lunch for the clique in her sun-bathed home. Attendees donned her tropical-tinged ready-to-wear to enjoy watermelon margaritas on a rooftop overlooking the city, and the afternoon also provided a fitting opportunity to highlight the new Moda Operandi homeware line . Beneath helpings of posta negra, ceviche, and coconut cake were plates decorated with hand-painted palm trees, monkeys, and jungle cats. Following lunch, Lauren led the crowd on an impromptu walking tour of Cartagena, pointing out her favorite shopping spots along the way—including a whistlestop at Ortiz’s forthcoming store.
But the majority of the weekend’s festivities took place right on the hotel’s storied grounds. The property, located in the mural-splashed Getsemaní district and a few minutes’ walk away from the technicolor walled city, incorporates many chapters of Cartagena’s history. The building’s entryway is the site of the former Club Cartagena, a Beaux-Arts landmark that was once the stomping grounds for local high society.
On Friday night, in the airy lobby with its white marble walls and glass atrium, the international cohort got acquainted over Prosecco. In Mario Carbone’s The Grand Grill, a classic steakhouse dinner of steak and prawn cocktail awaited, with a carrot cake, key lime pie, and chocolate cake triple header for dessert. Afterwards, everyone was lured by the sound of salsa music into Bar Lelarge for a nightcap before scattering around the hotel.
Seymore Flex The following day, restorative massages in the hotel’s spa, Umari, were followed with relaxing strolls through the enchanting walled city. By nightfall, everyone gathered once again at the base of the Atrio imperial staircase for pre-dinner cocktails. At the bar, Lauren led a group of tequila shot-takers in the Latin American toast, ¡Arriba, abajo, al centro, pa dentro!
A dinner unfolded in the property’s 16th-century cloisters, which house the hotel’s colonial-style rooms. Underneath the courtyard’s four magnificent Banyan trees, dancers from the nonprofit organization Jóvenes Creadores del Chocó performed a tribute to the people…